


The Queen's Speech

by SnowQueenOfMyHeart



Series: Casselsa Collection [27]
Category: Frozen (Disney Movies), Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Anxiety, Canon Compliant, Comfort/Angst, F/F, Gloves, References to The King's Speech
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-19
Updated: 2019-09-19
Packaged: 2020-10-24 05:18:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20700578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnowQueenOfMyHeart/pseuds/SnowQueenOfMyHeart
Summary: Inspired by the latest round of discussion on Tumblr about Elsa's ascension to the throne. Based on The King's Speech.





	The Queen's Speech

Not now. Not again.

She was about to become Queen. After so much turmoil, she had assumed a title she never really wanted. And she would have to give a speech. In front of so many people.

The thought of all that responsibility was weighing on her like a stone - more like a mountain. She did not need another anxiety attack right before the big day, but here she was, hunched over in the throne room where she was going to be going through the motions as she was crowned before an audience entrusting her with such great power.

If only they understood the dangerous power she already possessed. Not just the simple flurries she could conjure in her more joyful state, but the jagged spikes and deadly storms that were tragically more familiar to the young woman.

Elsa barely heard the footfalls of her lover approaching, echoing in the empty sanctuary. They had arranged for the church to be empty this evening so that Elsa could practice in peace.

“Okay then, shall we get started?” Cassandra asked as she came to a stop several feet away from the future queen. Elsa did not answer, only looking vaguely ahead of her. By now, Cassandra knew the tell-tale signs of her anxiety: chilly air, eyes unfocused, the slight twitch of her hand.

“Elsa?”

Further silence. Then…

“I can’t do this.”

It was soft, quiet, barely a whisper. But in the vacant cathedral the sound seemed to echo. At least Cassandra was close enough to hear it.

“Yes you can.”

“Cass,” Elsa raised her head to look her lover in the eye, scared sapphire blues meeting uncertain hazels. “I’m trying every day to be prepared for this. But no matter how much effort I put into it, I can’t shake the feeling that I will fail.”

Cassandra had heard such things before. She had accepted this was the burden of loving a woman with such deep insecurity and a tendency to blame herself for everything. Rather than jump in with assurances that everything would be fine, she opted to wait and let things run their course.

Elsa twisted her hands as she fretted over how this was a bad idea. “Everyone keeps expecting me to be some sort of salvation, as if I can fix their problems. But I can’t even fix my own! How can I possibly lead when I…” she paused to steady her breathing, just a bit. “…when I’m such a disaster?”

As she gave a pleading look toward Cassandra, Elsa felt the ice creep slowly along the edge of the throne.

“Elsa, I know what it’s like to fail. To feel like you’ve let everyone down. I committed my life to defending my home, my kingdom, and later my best friend. And I still fell short. In the process of trying to keep the only true friend I had at that point safe, I made many mistakes and it nearly got me killed.” To emphasize her point, she raised her right hand, still blackened from a painful incident a long time ago.

“But that’s… that’s different,” Elsa protested weakly.

“The pain is still the same,” Cassandra cut in, perhaps a little too harshly. “I gave up so much to protect Rapunzel. I gave up my livelihood and my dream to have a position with honor so that everyone would respect me and my abilities. I had to deal with near-constant rejection. But I learned from those experiences, so much so that even after everything, Raps told me, ‘Cass, do you think you could help my cousin?’ She still had faith in me, just as I have faith in you now.”

For a moment, Cassandra thought her words had gotten through. But that was not the case.

“Then you must have made another mistake.”

Elsa flinched at the sound of that sentence coming out of her mouth. Yet it was exactly what her brain was telling her to say. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Cassandra for fear that she would be met with burning anger. If she did look up, she would notice not anger but annoyance and frustration mixed with a hint of exhaustion.

“I’m sorry, Cassandra, but I don’t want to do this. I can’t go through with this coronation if all it does is raise false hopes in something that will never happen!” In her renewed panic, Elsa stood up and walked toward a nearby pillar, leaning on it as her legs shook. Her arms were wrapped around her waist as she hugged herself desperately trying and failing to get a grip on her spiraling emotions.

_Conceal, don’t feel. No! You can do this! Get it together!_

“What if I’m still a monster? Even after all this time,” she asked, slowly turning around, “what if all I do is make life harder for everyo-”

She froze. Cassandra was sitting on the throne, calming looking at her, hands folded in her lap.

Except her hands were now covered. In a familiar - way too familiar - green fabric with a crocus pattern.

Elsa felt her heart skip a beat. Or two.

“Where did you get those?”

“Get what?”

The tone in Cassandra’s voice ignited something deep in Elsa’s gut.

“Where. Did. You. Get. Those?” Every word was punctuated by a shaky breath as she pointed at the gloves now adorning Cassandra’s hands.

“Oh, these?” Cassandra replied as if she had forgotten they were there. “Found ‘em, thought they would make a nice addition to my winter wardrobe.”

Elsa’s eye twitched as she grit her teeth. She turned her hand over and said in a low voice, “Give them to me.”

With all the sass she could muster, Cassandra brushed her hair back and cupped one ear. “I’m sorry, what?”

The temperature plummeted.

“GIVE ME MY GLOVES!”

Elsa strode over to the throne but Cassandra leaped away just out of arm’s reach.

“Why? They’re just gloves.”

“Do not play games with me! Just give me back my gloves!”

“By what right?”

“By divine right!” Elsa was not one to usually invoke such things, but in the moment it felt like her last good card to play.

“Oh fucking hell…”

“Why must you be so-”

“I don’t care!”

“W-what?”

Cassandra threw her arms out wide, her own face screwed up in anger almost as much as Elsa’s. “You said it yourself! You don’t even want to be queen! Why should I listen to you?”

“How dare you!” Elsa clenched her fists, trembling with rage.

“I’ve heard you tell me all the reasons you shouldn’t be here! Just for once, give me one good reason why I should serve you.”

The demand hit Elsa like a slap in the face. Her anger subsided, and panic returned. “C-Cass…”

“Why do you put yourself through this torture? Because it clearly is painful for you to take on such authority. And don’t tell me it’s because you’re royalty!” Cassandra pointed a stern finger at her.

“Because…because…” Elsa struggled to find one reason. Just one. Tears were starting to build in her eyes. Why was this so hard?

“Why, Elsa? Why do you do this when it hurts you so goddamn much?!”

“BECAUSE I DON’T WANT ANYONE ELSE TO SUFFER LIKE I DID!!!”

Her voice resonated in the vastness of the cathedral. It was almost as deafening as the silence that followed it. Elsa stood there breathing hard as the truth of what she just said sank in. Cassandra was… well, she wasn’t angry anymore. Satisfied? But why?

“There you go.”

Elsa was utterly confused. Why did Cassandra have to do that?

Sighing heavily, Cassandra stepped forward and began to remove a glove.

“Elsa, you and I are more alike than most people realize. When we hurt the most…” she paused, again holding up her burned hand without the glove to hide it, “we tend to shrug it off because we worry more about those we love than ourselves. We both give up our well-being and maybe our sanity to protect those we care about.”

As she removed the other glove, Cassandra closed the distance and gently took one of Elsa’s hands. She placed the gloves in the pale hand, then looked up.

“Why do you keep these gloves?”

Elsa glanced back down, tears now coursing down her cheeks. “Because I’m a coward.”

She felt a finger brush her cheek. But she didn’t flinch. Instead, she cried harder and leaned into the hand.

“Your selflessness is what I admire about you, Elsa. You just said you don’t want others to suffer. That you dare to love as deeply as you do, always putting everyone before yourself - Elsa, you are the bravest person I’ve ever met.”

Overcome with emotion, Elsa let the gloves fall to the ground and fell into Cassandra’s embrace. She clung desperately as she sobbed, finally realizing that maybe, just maybe, she could do this. That becoming Queen was more than just the title and the pomp and ceremony. That it was about taking on a role. To help and serve others. Let the naysayers criticize her for her style or youth or whatever they could find. She had a job to do.

Once she calmed down, Cassandra pulled back to brush her face again, wiping away the tears and cupping her cheeks.

“I’m sorry. I know what those gloves mean to you. If it helps, we can burn them after the coronation as a way to celebrate your new chapter in life.”

Elsa had to chuckle at that. “I bet Anna would love it.”

Pressing their foreheads together, Cassandra said quietly, “We have faith in you, Elsa. You’ll be the best fucking Queen ever.”

Elsa smiled in gratitude. Then the door burst open and a whirl of red hair swept through the cathedral.

“What happened?!” Anna said out of breath as she came to a stop beside her sister. “I thought I felt a chill when I walked by.”

“It’s okay, Anna. Cass was giving me some much-needed advice,” Elsa replied, squeezing Anna’s hand and Cassandra’s. Then an idea hit her.

“I need to make a change in our preparations, and I’m glad you’re here, Anna.”

“What? Why?”

Elsa took a deep breath.

“I want you to take part in my coronation. At least, I want you to place the crown on my head when the time comes.”

Both Anna and Cassandra stood slack-jawed. Whatever they were expecting, it wasn’t this.

“Are you sure?” Cassandra asked cautiously. “It would be highly unusual.”

“Yes, and I’m already highly unusual,” Elsa replied frankly.

“Um, Elsa? I really think that should be left to… someone with more authority and, uh, dignity. Someone who can manage placing the crown on your head better than I can in front of a crowd.” Anna was touched but seriously doubted her sister’s judgment at the moment.

“I understand your concern, Anna, but it is my head. And I want the person to whom I owe my life to be a part of the ceremony.”


End file.
